


Welcome to Ba Sing Se

by AnUnknownInkStain



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ba Sing Se, Brainwashing, City of Walls and Secrets, Class Differences, Dystopia, Earth Kingdom (Avatar), F/M, Gen, Lake Laogai (Avatar), Manipulation, Mind Control, Mind Manipulation, Social Experiments, Struggle for Identity, The Dai Li (Avatar), There Is No War In Ba Sing Se, loss of self
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27174118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnUnknownInkStain/pseuds/AnUnknownInkStain
Summary: Displaced by the war and seeking refuge behind the walls of Ba Sing Se, Meiying and her family struggles to cope with their new reality in the Lower Ring. Willing to do anything to bring prosperity and a better life for her struggling refugee family, she goes down a path which gives and takes everything. The story of Joo Dee.
Relationships: Joo Dee/OC
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Ch1

It had been a little over two months that she had now been living in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. The effects of ongoing war with the Fire Nation had finally reached her village three months back. Their medium sized town of Kuromori, to the southwest of Omashu, had managed to survive the past ninety six years of war, the townsfolk, as well as herself, had begun to develop this unrealistic notion that the war would never arrive on their front doorstep, since it had been untouched for so long. Inevitably, the day came when they were wrong.  
Meiying never saw the siege and the onslaught of the Fire Armies with her own eyes. From what she had been told, they had narrowly escaped the first day of the siege, acting on instinct and word of mouth. They fled the city, taking little with them and set off for the safety, stability, and shelter of Ba Sing Se. The journey would take them over a month to accomplish on foot.  
“When we get to the city, we will certainly be safe. Life will undoubtedly get easier!” Her father would repeat over and over as a motivator with each waking day of travel.  
Meiying wasn’t so keen. She missed the town she came from and the local neighbors and merchants she had essentially grown up with. But being the eldest daughter of two she remained optimistic and pushed through the exhaustion of day to day traveling. They marched across plains, pulled themselves over mountains, waded across great rivers, and trudged through marshlands. Until then, Meiying didn’t find herself wishing for better paths and more infrastructure; but the stress of needing to navigate unmarked and forsaken routes of travel, many of them made up, quickly changed her outlook. In Kuromori, their family had lived in the middle class, being merchants, but by the time they had reached Ba Sing Se’s ferry terminal at the Serpent’s Pass, their clothes had become ragged, tattered, and dirty and they blended in well to the sea of refugees which surrounded them.  
“Once we settle down behind that wall, to our new home. I think you’ll like it here,” her father remarked. “Maybe you’ll finally find that special someone as well. It’s about time you know.”  
“Dad, someone has to take care of you, mom, and Jiao. I can’t do that well if I am occupied with someone else,” she shrugged cheerfully. “Besides, I’m just twenty seven. I’m still young you know! I have a lot of time!” Her father and mother had constantly prodded her in the town to try her hand at dating to find a suitable marriage partner. It wasn’t like she would have a difficult time finding suitors or interested boys either, Meiying was considered to be one of the prettiest- if not the most beautiful young woman in the entire town.  
Three months into their new home in Ba Sing Se and the reality of the city and their new situation. Meiying had always heard and thought that Ba Sing Se was everyone’s ultimate goal in life. You didn’t have goals or aspirations if you weren’t actively working to move to Ba Sing Se, or at least that was what the city had been made to seem. It was filthy, at least the lower ring was. Murky water puddled up in every street and alley, in some areas they formed small streams that took up most of the street. The district they were in was full of small sized and numerous shops. As Meiying walked through the borough, peering into each store, she saw a variety of knife makers, fabric weavers, and meat cutters. It definitely was a district for craftsmen, artisans, and people that worked with their hands. At the most, Meiying thought it was, at the very least, quaint and lively.  
A man was suddenly flung from a store front just before her. A larger, more muscular, individual who worked in that particular shop stepped out and stood above him. “The next time you try and short change me,” he yelled, “It’ll be more than your arm, I’m breaking!”  
It was definitely a place where one would need to watch their step.  
She jerked the sack of rice she carried in her arms up to lift them once again to a better carrying position- rather she slung the bag over her back to carry. Her family had definitely suffered a demotion in social position. Their background and wealth as well-off merchants in Kuromori did not mean much nor get them far when immigrating to Ba Sing Se. They were only able to afford living in a run down neighborhood of the lower ring. Meiying was not by any means against the added strain and workload necessary just to get by, but she constantly wished to find a means to give her family a much better life. She did not like watching her dad struggle and push himself, especially in his older age, swinging sledge hammers and lifting heavy wooden planks with construction crews just to afford to put food on the table. Equally, she did not like watching her mom struggle to maintain the house and care for her younger brother who was still too young to do much. Anything that she could manage to do, she was more than willing to struggle if it meant a better situation for her family. Her raven hair draped elegantly to her shoulders, falling like silk curtains around her head and framing her face almost perfectly. Her presence turned heads of the young men of the scene as she passed by. Coupled with her natural beauty, her determined and ever hopeful smile with the streak of dirt across her cheek was difficult to ignore. No one said it, but she was acknowledged well around the district.  
“Meiying!” A voice from behind her called. “Meiying! Wait up!”  
She turned around. A uniformed patrol officer of the local police force came running up behind her. The young man was a clean cut, respectable, handsome fellow. His black hair was cut close to fit uniform regulation, but his bangs were swept back to maintain an ounce of flair. He wore the uniform of the local police forces of the city, similar to the security officers who worked at the ferry terminals. His twin, sheathed, Dao swords swayed at his side as he ran.  
“What are you doing here, Wei?” Meiying asked, a smile forming on her face. She felt her heart accelerate as she watched him. “Aren’t you working?  
“The captain put me on patrol in this precinct today,” he replied, panting. “I thought I would come see you.” He ran his hand through her draping hair, the silky strands flowing gracefully through his fingers. She giggled as she pressed her cheek into his palm. He was the one person who had the volition to approach and get to know her.  
“Aren’t you slacking in your duties? Surely an officer of the Earth King shouldn’t be making side quests,” she teased.  
“My partner is slacking off in his favorite local bar, right now,” Wei chuckled, smiling warmly. “I think I’d rather be here with you than there with him right now.”  
The local security forces in the city had been known to not be as thorough nor as disciplined. It had been that way even during Avatar Kyoshi’s time, almost three hundred years ago. The ranks of the police forces consisted of local men who occasionally were rotated throughout the city’s networks and rings. Wei was among the few diligent and dedicated officers of the force. Most were there simply for a job to pay the bills, and would likely flee in a severe enough fight. Wei was not one of those men, but he did make use of the motivation-lacking system when it would benefit him.  
Wei was younger than Meiying by two years, twenty five to her twenty seven, but he did not let the difference in age stop his adoration of her. “Let me carry that for you! It’s heavy,” he offered.  
“Why?” She slung the heavy bag once again, adjusting how it sat over her shoulder. “You think a strong woman such as I,” she huffed, “..is incapable of carrying her own weight?” She teased. Truthfully she was more than happy to have his help.  
“It’s not really me assuming than it is the fact proving itself right in front of me,” he teased.  
“Oh stop it you,” she laughed, shoving him roughly with her free hand. The loss of one hand made her lose a holding force on the sack of rice. Meiying stumbled as the bag began to pull down against her. The sack itself was not the sturdiest of containers; if it dropped from shoulder height, it would split open and spill its precious contents.  
“Careful!” Wei shouted as he dove toward her. He gained a supporting hold on the bag just in time to steady it and prevent the cargo from falling. His hand met hers as they moved to steady the payload. Her face was mere inches away from his. Meiying’s cheeks flushed red as her eyes looked widely into his. He was captivated by her gaze similarly as well. Both of them smiled and chuckled.  
“I’ll be taking this,” he jested as he took up the burlap sack from her.  
“Hey! I can carry it myself,” Meiying objected. “You’re always carrying things for me!-”  
She felt his arms tightly wrap around her waist, pulling her into a very warm and tight hug. She was speechless, blood rushed to her head. She could feel her ears heating up. She blinked, speechlessly, twice before closing her eyes and burying her face into Wei’s neck. He was far from against public displays of affection, even in the city- the district that really despised such shows.  
“W-Wei, everyone will stare at us,” Meiying managed to shyly whisper into his ear, her face still buried in his neck. He did not hear her words, or he ignored them completely.  
“Someone like you shouldn’t be carrying such cargo,” he said sincerely with a calm voice which just caressed her ears. He withdrew from his hug and quickly picked up the heavy sack of rice once again before she could. “Besides, if I keep this up, I’ll build notoriety with your father,” he joked. “Now let’s get you home! It’s getting dark.”  
“Oh Wei…” Meiying sighed. She thought herself fortunate that such a man tried so much for her.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch2

Meiying fumbled for the keys to her house door, deep within the pockets of her tattered and ragged skirt. “Hang on- Wait!” She called to Wei as she fumbled for the key. “I can carry on from here,” she called Wei. But Wei was determined to deliver to her home.  
“It’s okay, I would be a bad assistant if I left you now. I should see this through,” he cheekily said. Meiying had made an effort to try to keep Wei from her home. Her mother had an inkling that she was seeing someone, her father would ask her constantly, and her younger child brother would constantly tease her on the matter, but none of them had actually met the man of myth.  
Wei knocked on the worn wooden door, firmly, three times. “Hello? Ba Sing Se Police,” he called into the door.  
“Oh! Yes sir! I’ll be there shortly!” Intense shuffling was heard from behind the shanty wooden door. The door itself was rotting, someone could easily punch a hole straight through to the otherside. It looked ready to fall off its hinges. A crash was heard, interrupting the hastened pace of the man coming to the door. “Aiko! Dear, there’s a hole in the floor here!”  
The door clacked and rattled open. The rusted iron hinges creaked as the older man inside slowly swung it open. “W-What can I do for you, officer?” The man at the door was hunched over slightly from his age, but for someone living in the lower ring was still quite presentable in dress and mannerisms. “Was it my daughter, Meiying? I keep telling that girl to stay out of trouble!”  
“It’s quite alright sir,” Wei tried to calm. “You, your family, nor your daughter are in trouble with the law.”  
“Zhang, you’re overreacting again…” his wife commented as she drew near his side. “Jiao gets his energy from you.”  
The man rubbed the back of his neck, laughing admittedly.  
“Father!” Meiying called, only now catching up to Wei. “Pay no attention to him, he’s just a...a friend.”  
“Meiying! What did you do now? We can’t get into trouble with the law of this city, it upsets the order and the sanctity of Ba Sing Se!” Her father scolded her often about keeping the peace and order of their new home intact. Zhang, was a man who revered law and order. For him, society was a complex mechanism and everyone had a place to fit in nicely and do their part in its betterment. He often lectured Meiying and his son Jiao about staying within the boundaries of the law. Ever since they had moved to the lower ring, he had done his absolute best to be on the best of his behavior.  
“A friend?!” Wei called out. “I think I’m a little more than that, Meiying,” he teased.  
“A little more than a friend? Meiying are you-”  
Zhang was interrupted by his daughter kicking Wei firmly behind the knee. Wei laughed, as he stumbled from Meiying’s kick.  
“Meiying,” he gasped, “You just assaulted an officer of the law!”  
Wei once again defused his intrest’s father, “It’s okay Mr. Zhang. She’s a close friend of mine,” he smiled. “Here, I carried this for her. May I come in?” He lifted the heavy sack of rice to show her father.  
Meiying simply smiled humbly at her dad. “You- You carried this here for her?” Zhang quickly began to connect the dots. “Oh! Yes, come in! Come in!”  
The pair simply laughed as they entered the run down house. 

Wei took a seat at the dining room table. Everything in this house looked as if it would abruptly fall apart if disturbed. A far cry, even from the modest middle class living Meiying spoke of from her life back in Kuromori. There were dents and holes punched throughout few walls within the home. In addition to the hole in the rotting wooden floor just created by Meiying’s father, there were several other similar breaks in the deck elsewhere. It was definitely not an ideal place to live. Before the uniformed officer, on the table, steamed a fresh cup of oolong tea in a carved wooden cup.  
“You should join us for dinner, Wei,” Zhang motioned. “You can tell me more about you and my daughter! It’s about time she finally found a boyfriend!”  
“Father, you’re embarrassing me! It isn’t like that!” Meiying asserted, drawing a quick glance from both Wei and her father. “...yet,” she muttered to herself.  
Zhang looked to Wei for a follow up answer. “...Umm..right, it’s not quite like that yet, sir,” he chuckled.  
“Oh! Spirits above,” Zhang cried in disappointment, “Meiying, stop worrying about the current state of things and find someone to get together with! Our situation will improve with time! You should go off and be happy,” her father persisted.  
“You’re father is right dear,” Aiko, her mother chimed in. We appreciate all the hard work you endure for the sake for this family, but you really should go enjoy something for yourself too.”  
“I know, I know,” Meiying endeared, tying her hair up into a single pony tail. “You tell me this all the time, but I can’t help but want to keep working to improve the situation at home. You and father deserve..more than this,” she said gesturing to the hastily nailed together pieces of wood that was their home and furniture. “Jiao also deserves to grow up in a much better household than this as well. He should be going to school, ideally. And if I can help it, I will do anything to get us there.”  
“It’s out of our hands, Meiying. Time will bring us to that point eventually. As a whole,” he nagged. “Don’t feel the need to take it all upon yourself to bear the burden,” her father beckoned.  
Wei was called by a tugging at his green tunic. A short boy, Jiao, who was only seven years old was by his side. His attention was fixated on his green and tan uniform, as well as the sheathed dao swords fixed to his belt. “Mr, are you from the Dai Li?”  
He was surprised. “The Dai Li? No,” he said as he waved his hand dismissively. “I’m just with the security forces. I’d need to be an earth bender to work with the Dai Li. Have you seen them?”  
The little boy shook his head no.  
“Oh, they are so cool!” Wei, among a few, admired the Dai Li as an agency and force. “They wear darker green robes and wider conical helmets and are master earthbenders! Very strong and sneaky too! If there is a bad guy on the loose, the Dai Li go and take care of the problem, the bad guy never sees or hears them coming. They are that good! They are the guardians of Ba Sing Se’s cultural heritage; and I’ve heard they were established and originally trained by Avatar Kyoshi herself!”  
“Hmm, I’ve never seen them,” Meiying commented.  
“You see them more often near the Earth King’s palace in the upper ring. Outside the palace grounds, especially in the lower ring, they are much more discreet. You’d probably only see them if they have a reason to confront you, and then that would mean you’ve really done something.”  
“I see...very secretive.”  
Wei nodded his head, “Indeed. If only I was an earth bender! I can only dream of working for them!”  
“Officer Wei, you should stay for dinner soon,” Aiko offered. “It'll be soon.”  
The young officer fixed his uniform as he rose from his seat, having finished his tea. “I would love to, but I am still on duty and should return to my partner soon,” he paused. “He’s probably beginning to sober up by now,” he mumbled.  
“Well that’s too bad,” Zhang added on. “Then, swing by on your next day off! We’ll get to know you more!”  
“I’d be honored, sir,” he said as he began to take his leave.  
“I’ll see him out,” Meiying called out, quickly following the uniformed officer to the door. “What are you doing,” she nudged his side playfully. “Aren’t you putting on one direct show for my family,” she remarked.  
“We’ve been seeing each other for a while,” he justified, “Why not?”  
“It’s embarrassing,” she groaned, latching onto his arm once she was certain they were out of sight.  
“Aren’t you a little mature to be embarrassed by these kinds of things?”  
“You’re the first person I’ve ‘dated,’” she admitted. “...and don’t make it sound like I’m that much older than you! It’s only a two year difference!”  
“Well, a gap is still a gap,” he playfully teased. “Normally, shouldn’t I be the older one?”  
“You’re the one that actively tried to court me,” she reminded.  
He wrapped both arms around her waist, pulling her into a tight embrace “And you enjoy it, don’t you?”  
Meiying simply nodded. Wei planted a light kiss on her forehead in parting. “I’ll see you around soon,” he said, finally releasing her from his grasp and pulling away.


	3. Joo Dee

Ch3: Joo Dee 

The dark green robes of the Dai Li’s agents stood out among the drab garments of the lowly citizens of the lower ring. There had been some commotion within the nearby tea shop, but the situation had been handled. What had transpired was beyond the speculation of many. The events that had occurred within had happened in the early hours of the morning, not many passerbys had been around to witness the commotion. There were holes in the washi paper window screens of the rundown tea shop, the door had been struck off its hinges, and several tables and chairs had been broken. Some of the gathering crowd talked of seeing a prison carriage being brought around earlier, with someone being hauled off by the Dai Li, but that was the extent of things they had managed to witness.   
“I heard the man they hauled off was trying to talk about some mythical war,” one of the men in the crowd whispered to his companion. “These young folk will make up anything nowadays for attention. If there was a war- with the Fire Nation of all people, don’t you think it would have reached here by now?”   
Sweeping the stray strands of hair from her face, Meiying tried to get a better look at what had transpired. She could only see that the Dai Li had occupied the tea shop and were actively talking to its owner and several people who happened to be present at the time.   
“Oh my, such a commotion isn’t it?” A soft and gentle voice came from behind Meiying. “I wonder what could have happened.” The person was standing so close to her, she could feel her leaning up against the back of her shoulder. She felt her foot get trampled on.   
Meiying pivoted around to see the person who stood so close. The girl who stood so closely took a sudden step back from her. “Pardon me, I’ve overstepped my boundaries,” she politely said.   
“My fault,” Meiying said unconvincingly. “I was blocking much of the view.”   
The woman who stood before her seemed to be an example of grace and poise, but somehow did not manage to come off as someone from the upper ring, or of nobility. She was well dressed though, especially for someone in the lower ring. She wore a beige color dress which draped all the way down to her ankles. Compared to the dresses worn by those in the lower ring, and even those of middle class in Kuromori, her dress fit well and hugged closer to her figure. Her sleeves were roomy and also draped elegantly, covering her hands which were joined gracefully in front of her. Emerald green silk lined the collar of the dress as well as the sleeve cuffs and lined the hem of the skirt. Wrapped around her neck was a similarly colored silk scarf which had the coin-shaped insignia of the Earth Kingdom embroidered on it in gold. Her hair, like Meiying’s, was elegant and silk-like, parted above the top of her forehead and draping down elegantly over both sides of her face evenly, being tied into a neat bun above her neck. Suspended and crossing horizontally behind the crown of her head was a simple liangbatou, a headdress normally worn by those of higher class. Compared to those of the court ladies and the noble women of the upper ring and the wives of feudal Earth Kingdom lords and sages throughout the kingdom, her liangbatou was much less ornate and smaller. It was a simple dark green silken bar which crossed through the twin knots of her hair which held the ornament up. She smiled, brightly, and had a steady and calm gaze in her eyes. No one Meiying had come across in the lower ring in the past couple of months had ever looked this cheery or dressed as elegantly. This woman managed to stand out even more than the few remaining Dai Li agents, as her beige dress and emerald green ornamentation made her stand out among the drab and tattered greens and browns of the peasant population.   
“Oh no,” she said insistently, “It was rude of me to get so close to you, invading your personal space. Such a gesture is so rude and unbecoming of me, you must let me redeem myself.”   
“I-It’s really not a problem at all,” Meiying defended innocently not wanting to inconvenience this higher class lady. She seemed so out of place here in the lower ring from her attire, but something- Meiying couldn’t tell what, made her seem much more at home and compatible with the lower class citizens than even those in the middle ring. “It happens, it’s life.”   
“Oh no,” the bright woman before her insisted, “I won’t be able to let myself get over it! Let me just serve you tea, or food! It’ll be my treat,” she pushed further.   
“Oh...Okay,” Meiying reluctantly accepted. No one had ever made it this much of a point to try and correct something so mundane with her.   
“Great! Let’s begin then,” she cheerfully said, leading Meiying through the streets, away from the scene of Dai Li agents.   
After winding through the nearby passages and alleys, with Meiying noting once again how dirty and forsaken the lower ring was. This woman, who still hadn’t mentioned her name, really stuck out like a sore thumb. What was she doing all the way down here?  
She led her to a small wooden carriage. It was roomy enough to seat six people with a door on each side. The seats were comfy and well cushioned. The accents were, again, the emerald green of the Earth Kingdom. Upon closer inspection, the wood of the roof in the interior had intricate carvings of badger moles and bears. A single ostrich horse pulled the carriage.  
The woman, still pleasantly smiling, held the door open and motioned Meiying inside. Just after the door was shut, the driver started the tow animal in motion. The carriage rocked gently as it moved forth. The wooden axles and wheels were well maintained and likely replaced when they began to become worn as the ride was very smooth for horse drawn carriage standards. The cart, despite being made mainly of wood, rode similar to the ancient Fire Nation-made metal carriages in Kuromori from long before the war.   
“You still haven’t told me your name,” Meiying inquired. She now felt out of place within the carriage. Everything was intricate and elegant, which emphasized her tattered green and khaki robes.   
“I am Joo Dee,” she quaintly said in response. “And you are?”   
“Meiying.”   
“What a lovely name,” Joo Dee commented, her hands folded neatly in her lap.   
“You’re dressed so..professionally,” Meiying commented. “Really elegant. What were you doing in the lower ring? You don’t look like you belong here, to be frank.”   
“Oh, the lower ring is so lively and interesting. I like visiting occasionally to take in the atmosphere. It’s quite interesting.”   
Meiying’s eyebrows raised in concern. “It’s dangerous though. Especially for someone of your status to be wandering around alone, isn’t it?”   
“It’s perfectly fine,” she grinned. “I still feel very safe within Ba Sing Se. Nothing of ill intent has befallen on me in all my visits.”   
Meiying noted how confident this woman seemed. She was practically dating one of the police officers in the security forces, and even he would admit the policing was not very thorough or secure. “Are you married?” Joo Dee shot forth a question out of the blue.   
“Um...No, not at the moment,” Meiying awkwardly answered.   
Joo Dee sighed, smiling and looking out the carriage window. “Ah, still as free as a bird. It’s so nice isn’t it?”   
“My father keeps nagging me to find ‘that special someone’ constantly” Meiying laughed. “What about you?” Joo Dee looked to be just around the same age as Meiying, maybe just slightly older by a few years at most.   
“Oh no,” Joo Dee waved off. “I haven’t had as much luck, not as much as you do.”   
“Luck how?”   
“Oh, luck in beauty of course,” Joo Dee commented.   
“But you’re so elegant,” Meiying praised.   
“It’s just the attire,” Joo Dee defended. “You have the natural looks.”   
“Thanks…”   
The carriage drew closer to the wall of the middle ring. The atmosphere shifted immediately as they passed through the gate. The streets were cleaner and much more presentable. Instead of dirt, the roads were paved in stone. Shops were cleaner and in better condition. The roofs of the houses were not riddled with holes and the walls were not rotten. There were also many buildings that were even made of stone and brick.   
“Is this the middle ring?” Meiying asked as she looked out the windows of the moving carriage in awe.   
“Yes,” Joo Dee answered. “This is home to the financial district, many of Ba Sing Se’s shops and restaurants, as well as Ba Sing Se University. Many merchants, tradesmen, and scholars, live here.”   
In the four months she had lived in Ba Sing Se, she had yet to venture out of the lower ring. It was a shocking sight to behold just how different and stark the middle ring was compared to the neighborhood supposedly one tier below.   
“Do you live here?” Meiying was quite curious about the woman who sat across from her.   
“I do indeed,” she responded. “Though some of my colleagues even live in the upper ring. I’m still relatively new.”   
“Your colleagues? What kind of work do you do?”   
The carriage stopped before a rather upscale restaurant. The building was carved from limestone and marble with wooden accents.   
“I work for the government of Ba Sing Se,” Joo Dee simply answered. “The work entails a variety of different duties, but mainly I work as a guide and host for Ba Sing Se’s most valued travellers.”   
“You work for the government? Have you met the Earth King?”   
“Why, yes I have,” Joo Dee answered, leading out the carriage door and once again holding it open for Meiying. “As well as other Earth Kingdom dignitaries and valued guests. If the Avatar himself were to visit we would definitely be assigned to make his visit pleasant and comfortable.”   
Meiying was impressed. If what Joo Dee said was true, then not only was the job interesting, she had colleagues in the upper ring of the city! She could only imagine what life in these areas of Ba Sing Se were like. How wonderful it would be if she could bring her family up to these areas, out of the filth and darkness of the lower ring. The opportunities would be endless!  
If merely being in the carriage made Meiying stand out, being among people of the middle ring truly emphasized her. Her tattered and dirty dress and robes were, admittedly, an eyesore among the fresh linens and uniforms of the middle ring’s inhabitants. If only she knew what today would have in store for her, she would have at least worn her nicest tunic and skirt she kept from her previous life; not that it would be leaps ahead closer to the attire worn here, but at least it would be better than wearing her working or errand attire. Meiying noticed the stares, snickers, and whispers from the other women and men of the establishment.   
At last, the two were seated at a window side table. The setting was a far cry from her home dining room. The table that separated the two was carved of a glossy marble, the plate was a fine porcelain as well as the tea cup, and the chopsticks were a lacquered cherry wood. An elegant cherry blossom motif was hand painted on the cups and plates of the restaurant, another mark of fine artisanship. Through the window, sunlight cast a fine light on Joo Dee’s face, really making her shine as an example of poise; an ideal Meiying had always looked up to.   
The tea, finely ground matcha tea, was refreshing and smooth to the taste. The rich flavor was captivating and indulging. Meiying savored the experience, being sure to not let the moment go to waste. It had felt like an eternity to her since she had such fine tea in such a fine establishment. Their sudden change of setting had cast her and her family into a true state of refuge. She wished she could bring them here to enjoy this with her.   
“So, Meiying, what do you do in the lower ring?”   
“I haven’t found an official job yet. Mainly, I just help with chores around the house and run errands for my family,” she admitted. “I help my mother with my brother, Jiao, as well.”   
“It must be tough,” Joo Dee fretted with a sympathetic tone, “Rent and supplies in the city can be so...expensive, aren’t they?”   
Meiying acknowledged, “Yes, and right now it is mostly my father still laboring away to provide for us.” She looked out the window, longingly. “It pains me to think of how much physical and grueling work he has to endure, working in construction of all jobs, just to continue to provide for us.”   
“That’s quite saddening to hear,” Joo Dee lamented, her brows raised and scrunched together with the pained look on her face.   
“I wish there was more I could do for them, you know? They’ve always taken care of me and provided so much, where we came from. I just wish I could repay them and get them out of there, to live like this in the middle ring,” Meiying sighed.   
“You are new to Ba Sing Se?”   
“We are refugees from the town of Kuromori, to the south of Omashu,” she conveyed. “The war displaced us, and we were seeking a new life of safety here in Ba Sing Se.”   
Joo Dee’s eyes widened slightly, but then returned to their normal optimistic and warm appearance. “Well, fortunately, everyone is safe here,” she grinned.   
“Yes,” Meiying agreed, “...and we are very thankful for our situation too. I feel selfish and ungrateful for wanting more though. More for them at least.”   
“It is understandable,” Joo Dee sympathized. The state guide set her cup down on the table and folded her hands on the table top. Meiying noticed the shift to a serious tone. “To tell you the truth, the reason I go down to the lower ring just to look around is mainly to reminisce.”   
“Reminisce? In that place? But it’s so run down,” Meiying questioned. “There doesn’t seem to be so much that one would want to remember.”   
“Well you’re..probably right about that,” Joo Dee admitted, chuckling, “But I can’t help but look back and visit every now and then.” She smiled and looked into the piping hot cup of tea. “It was, afterall, my home before.”   
Meiying was surprised by the revelation. “You’re from the lower ring?”  
“Of course! It was my start in the city. Everyone has to start from somewhere rather low,” she smiled.   
“I noticed somewhat when I first met you,” Meiying revealed, “Something about you just seemed so relatable, somehow.”   
Joo Dee laughed, “I was never too good at mimicking the mannerisms and air of nobility of those in the upper ring.” She took a sip of her tea. “I know just how difficult it is in the lower ring. And I know how difficult it is outside of the walls of Ba Sing Se. Similar to you, I also wanted to provide more for those close to me, but not my family.”   
“Who for you?”   
“I came to Ba Sing Se with a group of friends who joined me on the road here. My family remained in the countryside, they weren’t the most supportive of me. So when times get rough, they were the ones who really had my back. Like you I wanted to support them too,” Joo Dee recalled.   
She looked Meiying straight on. “I see a lot of myself in you, to tell you the truth. You remind me a lot of myself, Meiying.”   
Joo Dee herself got some ominous and glaring looks from some of the occupants of the restaurant as they walked by their table. Meiying had been wandering why she got similar disapproving looks.   
“And I know what it was like trying to find a way up and out from the lower ring. Trying to provide ‘a better life.’ It would be great if I could help you,” Joo Dee extended.   
“Help me how?”   
“The Earth King is always looking for women like us to serve the Earth Kingdom here in Ba Sing Se,” Joo Dee told. “It’s noble and honest work. And the benefits are great. I think you’d make a perfect candidate!”  
“I don’t know…It’s just a bit to suddenly make a decision on…”   
“You and your family would be moved to the middle ring- possibly the upper ring, you know! This could be the opportunity that could change everything for you,”Joo Dee persisted.   
“It does seem promising…”  
“But,” Joo Dee paused. “The job is pretty demanding. I do serve the Earth King in the finest city in the world. It would be understated to say, you’d be...away from home for long periods of time. But you would definitely secure a better life.”   
“I don’t know...It’s so much to take in. The offer seems so good- and it would be everything I am looking for, but I don’t think I can agree to almost desert my family,” Meiying pondered.   
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Joo Dee backed off. “You don’t need to make a decision now. I’ll be around in the lower ring for a few days. Whenever you want to take this opportunity, you can come find me.” She smiled brightly.


	4. A Decision Out of Desperation

Ch4

Joo Dee’s offer had been echoing about in Meiying’s thoughts, uninterrupted, for the past couple of days. After being shown and treated in the middle ring of the city, Meiying couldn’t help but mull over what life in Ba Sing Se had the potential to be. And Meiying was a very humble woman, never had she ever coveted greater than what she was given or possessed.   
` After their tea drinking had ended, last she was with Joo Dee, they had taken a quick pass through the upper ring. Where Meiying had been already fully impressed and awed by what the middle ring looked like, the upper ring had left her in complete disbelief. The amount of golden accents and bejeweled doors and jewelry had shocked her. Never before had Meiying ever scene such a highly ornate and decorated area. And according to Joo Dee, some of her coworkers even lived in the upper ring? Knowing that, sealed Meiying’s uncontrollable thoughts of the possibilities if she did take the job. Riding through the paved streets of the upper ring and seeing the royal palace had left quite the impression on her.   
She kicked herself mentally as the negative comparative thoughts manifested themselves in how she viewed her home and neighborhood. The creaking, rotting, and falling apart, neglected structures of the nearby homes and shops now seemed lowly and not a viable place to live. The people around her now seemed... dangerous or as though they would easily take advantage of any unknown persons. Home seemed to be a safety hazard with its falling, brittle, floors and rotting walls. She began to notice the crime and swindling of the lower ring more and more now as she went about the errands for her home.   
This was no place to live, Meiying thought to herself, keeping her head low as she maneuvered through the streets. Her hair hung over her face and her optimistic and hopeful smile had faded into a neutral grimace. The hindered and stressed creaking and rattling of the old iron lock mechanism on the front door squeaked shrilly in her ears, making her wince. She couldn’t help herself but to look down upon her situation.   
“I’m home,” she announced as she lugged the sack of supplies for the night into what was supposed to be a common room.   
“Welcome back,” Aiko called from the kitchen area. She had a meager pot of miso soup on the burner in preparation for dinner. Jiao was seated on the floor of the common area, busy playing with the small and well beaten set of earth kingdom soldier figures, carved from wood. “Thank you for the errands run today,” her mother called out with gratitude.   
Meiying plastered on a forced smile across her lips and swept her flowing bangs from her face. She truly wanted more, and it now pained her to see their meager means of ‘living’ in the lower ring. The only thing holding her back was the condition that she likely would not get to see her family around much after accepting. She still wanted to be there for them.   
They could hear labored steps approaching the front door. “Oh, that must be papa,” Aiko cheerfully noted. “Perfect timing too! The soup is all but ready now.”   
The worn door flung open as the exhausted man of the house wheezed in. Today her father seemed even more exhausted than he normally did. His face pained and he had a notable wheeze in his breath tonight. Sweat dripped profusely from his forehead.   
“Father, what happened?” Meiying inquired, concerned.   
“Oh nothing. Today, the foreman really gave me a workload!” He wheezed as he took a seat at the dining table. “Had me hauling the heavy loads and swinging the sledge hammers more than usual today. I was made to work a shift twice as long too. Really made me work for the pay today.”   
Meiying pained as she watched her exhausted father recover from the day’s workload. It really should be her working this much and providing, not her father. Not at his age. He was too old to be handling this extent of physical labor.   
“But, payday finally came!” Zhang dropped the bag of his wages for the past three weeks. The bag of earning was only about as big as a plate. The coins inside were only enough to fill a bowl. The payout did not seem equal to the labor she knew her father to exert. Zhang poured the contents on the table. As always there were at least a few meager gold pieces, several silver, and numerous copper coins.   
“Okay…” Zhang sighed, “Let’s divide this out…”   
The stack of all the gold pieces was pushed off to the left in addition to almost half of the silver pieces in addition to several copper pieces. “There goes the rent,” he sighed, still with a hinted tone of optimism in his voice. He pushed the remainder of the silver pieces and copper coins away from the segregated pile, it was merely a third of the total number of coins received. “Which leaves us with this for supplies and food.” He took a single silver piece from the remaining. “And this little one,” he said with unmatched high spirits, “is our investment to a life beyond the lower ring!”   
Meiying weakly smiled to match her dad’s spirits, taking the silver piece and rolling it through her fingers. She looked, disappointedly, at the sole silver coin. The eldest daughter rose from the table and walked the coin over to a small jar, tucked away under the corner table. Inside were the other ‘investments’ they had managed to set aside. A little more than a handful of currency rattled around within the small clay jar, most of them silver with three gold pieces in addition. Today’s payout, compared to previous ones, was larger.   
A knock at the door. “Come in,” Zhang called from the table.  
The wooden door pushed open, breaking off its top hinge as it opened. The uniformed man at the door paused abruptly in his entrance as he watched the rusted piece of iron clatter to the floor. In the doorway, still wearing his guard uniform, was Wei. He had accepted the invite to dinner. Meiying smiled brighter seeing him.   
“Wei! How nice of you to join us,” Aiko called, “Come! Have a seat, soup is ready for tonight!”   
“My honor, Mrs. Aiko,” he accepted, unclipping the twin dao swords from his duty belt and laid them beside the door. He then took a seat at the table, with Meiying following and taking a seat beside him. Wei politely nodded a brief bow of respect to her father, then to Aiko as the first servings of soup were distributed.   
“You look exhausted Mr. Zhang,” Wei commented, noticing the unignorable strain the day had brought on Meiying’s father.   
“They really piled it on today,” Zhang laughed. “But it’s okay. I still have the energy within me. Age is just a number-” He hacked, still short of breath.   
“You should really take it easy,” Meiying said with concern for her father’s wellbeing. “Don’t push yourself too hard.”   
“Are you kidding? If I do that about five more times,” he laughed, “We’ll be living at the Earth King’s doorstep in no time!”   
Wei joined in the lighthearted laughter at the old man’s humor.   
Suddenly a large stone was flung through the wall from the streets outside. The large slab passed near the dining table and plowed through the next wall, coming to rest in the common room and falling through the weak wooden floor. Such a stone could only be physically thrown by an earth bender!   
“What in the spirits was that?!” Wei frantically looked out the gaping opening to the street.   
Several stone blocks of dark joined stone came flying through the wooden walls and washi paper windows, riddling the structure with numerous holes. Meiying’s family ducked, dropping to the floor to avoid the flying stones. Her mother dropped the pot of soup and dove for her son, Jiao, shielding him with her body. Zhang was struck directly with a stone the size of two fists directly in the center of his stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs. Meiying dove beneath the weak wooden table. Wei ran for his swords. He drew the pair of blades and tried to defend against the incoming rocks.   
“It’s probably the daofei!” He yelled amid the chaos. “Ba Sing Se police forces!” He swung his swords in unison upward across his body, deflecting an airborne boulder. The force of the impact knocked him back. He managed to deflect another attack before being struck simultaneously by two similarly sized boulders, one right after the other. The hit knocked him back into the wall behind him, sending him through it as well and landing beside where the initial slab had come to rest. The attacks were precise and deadly, especially for a gang of daofei. A crag of stone jutted its way through the wooden walls of the house. Several similar pillars erupted from the floor as well. One hit Meiying square in the stomach as it pierced through the wooden surface, tossing her to the side violently.   
After the sudden and coordinated precision strike the rocks ceased flying and the ascending pillars stopped appearing. All was still once again. Her father and Wei had been knocked out of commission. Wei was unconscious and her father was in pain on the floor, trying to regain his breath. Meiying struggled, pushing herself up from the wooden boards and lifting her head to see the men who entered. Four men burst through the main door, breaking it fully off its last remaining hinge and tossing it to the side violently. The daofei members began rummaging through the belongings of the house, tearing open drawers and cupboards with unnecessary force. One of them came beside the dining table, which remarkably was still, and began to take up the coins from her father’s wages for the weeks of labor. He scooped the coins into a small burlap sack. The jangling of the metal pained Meiying’s heart, knowing her father’s earnings for rent and food were being stolen.   
The man knelt beside her, knowing she posed no opposition in her injured state. He pulled her attention toward his face forcefully with the hand he put under her chin. Tears began to stream from her eyes. “You are indeed as pretty as they say you are,” he remarked. Meiying noted the scar on his right cheek before he forcefully let go of her.   
Another daofei member found the jar of savings the refugee family had accumulated. “Found more over here, boss,” he called out, shaking the coin jar and taking it into inventory.   
“We got what we need,” the man with the scar called out in his gruff voice. “Not much else of worth here. Let’s beat it before the cops get here. Or worse, the Dai Li.”   
As quickly as they had entered, the men filtered out the front door. Meiying had barely begun to rise from the floor. The man with the scar looked at her and smirked. “It wasn’t anything personal,” he shrugged, “It could have been anybody, really. Life down here is tough enough as it is, and if you want to make it further you have to play dirty.” He smiled deviously and ran out the front door.   
Tears streamed down Meiying’s face. She ran out the door after them. Clouds had formed overhead and it began to pour in the streets. The unpaved dirt roads quickly turned to mud and sludge which she splashed through in her futile effort to chase them down. The gang members were nowhere to be seen, they had split off in numerous directions through the neighborhood with a seemingly infinite amount of alleys and back streets.   
How would they pay rent now? How would they put food on the table? Rent to the landlord was due in a matter of days, and her father would have to labor for another three weeks to be paid again! After what he had been through today, there was no way he could even possibly work for a while. A mixture of tears, rainwater, and mud formed on Meiying’s delicate face. Her clothes had become soiled by the mud which splashed up as she ran through the streets. She looked frantically in all directions as the world seemed to spin around her. But she saw no one. The robbers were long gone, and with them their earnings. Their livelihood, gone.   
She ran through alley after alley, from street to street without direction. She felt nothing but diar concern and sadness. This had pushed her over the edge of desperation.   
“Meiying!” Wei cried from behind her, trying to chase her down. But she did not hear him. He ran down the alley she took, several meters behind due to his late start. A pair of hands grabbed him from the shadows and he felt a glove of what felt like rocks cover his mouth and pull him into the shadows.   
Meiying frantically turned the corner and collided with a bystander whom she did not see in her panicked rush. The force sent them both tumbling to the dirt.   
“I-I’m so sorry,” Meiying cried, pulling her face from the woman she had tackled’s waist. She saw a blur of a bright, soaked, beige color fill her flooded vision. Through teary eyes, she looked up to the woman’s face. The rainwater had soaked her head and began to pull strands of the woman’s normally fixed hair out of place and over her face. The emerald green of her collar showed clearly. “Joo Dee?”   
The state guide looked down on her with a pained sympathetic expression. No wide and bright smiles for her this evening. “Meiying? Are you- Are you alright? What happened?”   
“It was awful, Joo Dee,” Meiying sobbed, “We- We were attacked and robbed by these daofei members in our home! They took everything, all our savings! We can’t pay rent anymore and my father is severely injured.” She wrapped her arms around Joo Dee’s waist.   
“It must have been terrible,” Joo Dee painfully remarked. “I’m so sorry to hear this.” Joo Dee put her arms around Meiying’s neck and pulled her into a light embrace as well. Meiying rested her head on Joo Dee as the two still were on the ground. “The police will be there soon, Meiying. They will help protect you.”   
Meiying sniffled and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. “Joo Dee...t-that offer you mentioned a few days back...at the tea shop,” she managed to say through a cracking voice. “Will my family be taken care of?”   
Joo Dee grinned slightly, out of Meiying’s sight. “Of course, they’d be moved to the middle ring,” she replied truthfully. More hair began to fall from their original placement, a single tear formed in Joo Dee’s eye and rolled down her cheek. Listening to Meiying’s trouble pained her too. “They’d be moved quickly,” she managed to say through a pained voice.   
Meiying sat up, pulling away from the bright colors of Joo Dee’s dress, wiping the tears and mud from her face. Her eyes still flooded, but her facial expression had a strong conviction. Anything for her family.   
“Joo Dee, I’ll accept the offer,” she stated firmly. “Please, help me and my family.”   
Joo Dee looked Meiying straight on, a warm smile stretched across her lips. Not a forced one, a genuine warm and caring grin with a sincere look in her eyes.   
“Of course, Meiying,” she responded warmly, “We’ll take care of you and your family. You’re safe now.”


	5. Commitment

Ch5

“Meiying!” Aiko exclaimed, seeing her daughter soiled and soaked concerned her gravely, especially given what had transpired.  
“We were-” Zhang coughed, clutching his sides, “So worried about you! Where did you run off to?” Meiying’s father propped himself against the now broken frame of what was once the front door. “Wei ran after you,” he coughed, “Did you see him?”  
“I’m sorry, father,” Meiying cried, “I was not able to catch the thieves.”  
“What?!” Her father let out an outburst of concern. “You went after them? How could you even think of such a course of action! It’s too dangerous! They’re earthbenders! What if they hurt you?” He scolded her intensely, managing to muster enough wind to let his tough love be heard. “It’s just money, anyway. That is not what’s important here. Your livelihood is more valuable to us than some mere coins.”  
“But how about you?!” Meiying finally burst out, letting all her emotions pour forth. Tears welled up and began to stream steadily down her cheeks. They provided a warm contrast to the cold rain water. “Both you and mom struggle everyday! For...for mere peasant change!”  
Her father was taken aback by her sudden outburst, surprised. She had been the most humble person he knew of, and never looked down on or complained about anything. To hear her make a comment such as “peasant change” was almost foreign to him. To all of her family members truly.  
“It’s- It isn’t fair! They make you slave away in construction, almost to the point of you collapsing from exhaustion. You put on a facade that ‘everything is okay’ when you come home, but we can all see just how winded and strained you really are! And for what? Barely enough to maintain four walls and a roof over our heads. Walls which you can see through, and a roof that the rain streams through! They say that you can work out of the lower ring, to climb the ladder of society..but it’s not possible at all! It’s a lie! All one big lie fabricated in the largest lie of them all; this city!” Her muscles were tensed and her hands were balled up in fists, shaking by her sides at the end of her hyper-extended arms. All the emotion she had bottled up for the past four months all came pouring out now with the storm. “And while we suffer and struggle down here, the middle and upper ring live a life where they cannot fathom what suffering and laboring is even like! Paved roads, gold pavilions, and silk plentiful enough to stretch from here to Kyoshi Island!”  
“Meiying,” her father began in a solemn but piercing tone. “We must be humble in our position. It’s a blessing we have even been able to make a life here-”  
“This isn’t a life!” She interrupted once more. “You deserve more! Jiao and mom deserve more! I want to provide more! A better life than...than this!”  
“WHAT CHOICE DO WE HAVE?!” Zhang finally yelled as hard as he could. It was the heaviest and most aggressive tone he had ever fired at his daughter in the whole of her twenty seven years of life. “There is only one way out, and it’s through! We escaped one crisis! We can escape this one! It won’t be easy, but eventually we’ll get there! As a family! Even if I need to slave away, nonstop, until we can climb this social hierarchy..I will do just that! Because that is my duty as the head of this family! It is my burden to bear!”  
“Not anymore,” Meiying said softly. Her raven hair began to cover her face like a closing stage curtain. “I will bring us out of here. To a better life! One where you can finally settle down and live a more deserved peaceful way.”  
“How?”  
Meiying sighed, “I took an offer to serve the Earth Kingdom as a guide.”  
A tap was heard as a single footstep sounded on the wooden boards which lined the front of their dwelling. As if on cue, Joo Dee emerged before the family on the facade of their riddled house. The building was just a shove away from crumbling from the damage inflicted during the attack. Her tan uniform dress shone like a gleaming light of opportunity against the dull gray and brown background of the lower ring. Her hands were cupped together in front of her and were concealed by her generous sleeves. Only the dirt from Meiying’s collision with her prior, which soiled the back of the skirt of her uniform, and her hair beginning to fall out of place in some areas due to the pouring rain water. Despite the circumstances and her hair beginning to come undone, the liangbatou in Joo Dee’s hair managed to remain stiffly straight, parallel to the ground.  
“Hello, my name is Joo Dee. I am a humble servant of the Earth King and a guide of the city,” she smiled. “And you must be Zhang, Aiko, and Jiao. I’m quite sorry to hear what has happened with your home. Rest assured though, I’m sure those criminals will be caught soon.”  
“I’ve heard it’s quite common for them to get away here,” Jiao muttered quietly to himself. He was firmly nudged from behind by his mother, who heard the jest. Joo Dee managed to hear him despite his low volume and the roar of the rain.  
“Oh no, assault and robbery is a serious crime here in Ba Sing Se and is quite rare, actually. Rest assured you are all safe now,” she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.  
“What will our Meiying have to do?” Aiko asked with a look of concern.  
“Your daughter is quite the noble and determined young lady you’ve undoubtedly raised her to be,” Joo Dee smiled. “She has agreed to serve the Earth King and help in running the finest city in the world! In a role similar to mine; she’ll soon be a distinguished representative of the city. Isn’t that great?”  
“It sounds honorable,” Zhang admitted. He still was against the idea of her having to work but was not going to oppose his daughter’s own accord and determination. He decided he was going to back her, no matter what. “But if it’s possible, we may need her here to help out with sorting out the house and possibly helping to deal with the burden of rent. The robbery really left us in a difficult situation.”  
“Oh you won’t need to worry about that anymore, Mr. Zhang,” Joo Dee replied. “The rent for your remaining time here in the lower ring has already been taken care of.”  
“Remaining time?” Both parents questioned.  
“Of course,” she continued to beam, “With Meiying’s work , her family will be well taken care of as a token of gratitude for her service. You will be moved to the middle ring of Ba Sing Se for residency. A house is already being searched for to make ready for your arrival.”  
“As expected of Ba Sing Se,” Zhang’s mood began to lighten up, “Such a quick and efficient reaction time.”  
Meiying smiled, things were beginning to finally turn for the best. She considered herself lucky to make an acquaintance and friend with Joo Dee. 

The ornate carriage rocked gently to and fro as it navigated the outbound streets of the lower ring. The two rode along largely in silence. Meiying pondered over her next steps in this process and what her future job would be like. Joo Dee sat across from her with a warm but dialed down smirk, a night and day change from her excessively wide smile she wore before Meiying’s family and other random passersby; she was giving a considerate moment of silence.  
That moment passed.  
“It’s going to seem very sudden,” Joo Dee began abruptly, shattering the silence. “But can you smile for me?”  
“I’m sorry..I don’t quite understand where you’re coming from.”  
“The job requires much smiling when on duty and in view of others,” Joo Dee explained. “Just like this,” she playfully instructed. Her eyes closed and a wide, bright, grin stretched across her face. Meiying chuckled lightly at the sight. “Now you try.”  
Meiying tried to pull off her widest grin. Her lips seemed to get thinner as they extended horizontally. Even with a closed-lipped grin, she was able to form a comparatively wide smile. A look that, in certain lights, could appear chilling or almost unsettling-  
“Great!” Joo Dee exclaimed, “Just like that! You will be a natural at this! I can tell already.”  
Joo Dee reached up and undid the knots in her hair which suspended and supported the characteristic headdress she wore in her hair. After fumbling with her hair for a bit she pulled the bar from her crown, her hair falling down, almost elegantly, over her shoulders and back. It was much longer than Meiying had originally thought it to be. Joo Dee then seemed to become much more lax. She settled into her seat in a much more relaxed manner and leaned against the side wall of the carriage, letting the air wisp through her hair.  
“You were displaced from your original village, right? That’s what made you and your family relocate to Ba Sing Se?”  
Meiying didn’t know what to make of the sudden and apparent tone shift and mood change, but happily went along at the different light her friend spoke to her in.  
“Yes. After remaining out of the war for almost a century, miraculously, the war finally came to our doorstep.” Meiying looked back on the events that had landed her family here. “It’s really getting serious out there. The Fire Nation is...really getting notably aggressive now.”  
“I see,” Joo Dee responded rather distantly. “The war really has left an impression on you.”  
“Admittedly..yes.”  
Joo Dee let out a very faint sigh, “Well remember. You’re in Ba Sing Se now,” she returned, “Everyone is safe here. You’re safe now.” Meiying looked at her mentor with an inquisitive look. Her response was coming off as odd. “You needn’t remember or speak of the war anymore,” she told with a faint, awkward, smirk. Her eyes were dead serious and seemed to gaze deep into Meiying’s, reaching within to hammer in a message at her core.  
“I’m not sure I’m following,” Meiying stammered.  
“Trust me, you needn’t mention it anymore,” she repeated. She slowly and emphatically shook her head left and right, her gaze not once breaking.  
“Okay..It’s probably best that I put it behind me,” Meiying acknowledged.  
Joo Dee grinned. “Here, take this.” The guide extended her headdress to Meiying. “I want to give it to you.”  
“You’re headdress? Isn’t this part of your uniform?”  
“Oh I have a handful of replacements of these. Losing one isn’t going to set me back too much,” she shrugged off.  
Meiying inspected the ornament closely. The dark, forest green, silk which covered the hardware was deep in it’s hue and was soft to the touch. It also had a notable weight to it. The core was possibly made of ivory, Meiying imagined. Centered at the peak of the ornament was half of the earth kingdom’s coin-like crest. The central motif piece was a highly polished brass and reflected like a mirror. Less ornate and definitely not as large as those headdresses worn by the women in the upper ring, but it was unquestionably the best ornament Meiying had ever held in her hands. This bar was to soon become part of Meiying’s identity.  
“If you ever need me,” Joo Dee spoke up, “For anything..feel free to speak up. I’m always open to talk.”  
Meiying noted how her words seemed to sound...ambiguous, almost ominous.


	6. The Last Evening

Ch6

The apartment she had been dropped off in was a far cry from the shack she had come from in the lower ring. Her room itself was much more spacious than her original room in her home town; nevermind her family’s arrangement in the lower ring where the entire house was the shared bedroom of all members of her family. The floor was stone rather than rotting timber, though Meiying still took a while to get used to not walking around extra cautiously or slow with her bare feet as if avoiding splinters and jagged edges. In their arrangement in the lower ring, shoes were worn all day and night, except when propped up on a chair or cushion when sleeping, due to the condition of the floor. The stone housing remained much cooler, having better insulation than her family’s stone shack. The temperature inside was cool and comfortable, providing a comforting contrast to the humid evening in the middle ring.  
Meiying wandered around the living room -yes- intrigued that there was a distinct and outlined living room. The several pieces of china left on the tables and shelves captivated her curiosity. On their surfaces were intricately painted Earth Kingdom motifs. On the tea cups were the crest of the Earth Kingdom, on the plates; badger moles and the royal palace. Meiying observed that there was something about them that seemed to be off; not exactly cheap, but not exactly something of extreme worth or something that would be found in the upper ring. To her, she shamefully reminded herself that this was indeed the middle ring, not the upper ring.  
Nevertheless she should be grateful- and indeed she was. But the experience felt all but empty. Meiying was alone. After being dropped off by Joo Dee several hours earlier, Meiying had spent her time pacing her new living arrangement and taking a brief stroll around the immediate surrounding areas in the middle ring. The awe factor, although prominent, quickly wore thin as this was the first time in her life she was left to her own devices with no task, errand, or chore given to her. It was the first time she was off on her own without her family. This alone made her relatively small apartment feel much larger than it actually was, and her neighborhood felt much wider as well. Both a positive aspect as well as a negative one was the silence and calm of the lower ring in comparison to their neighborhood district in the lower ring. Carriages and ostrich horses did not pass by endlessly throughout the night, there were no street fights nor the shouts of local police officers. The klang of blacksmith’s hammers and the crackle of their furnaces no longer joined the shrill of cicadas in the night. Rather, there was a calming but deafening silence.  
Meiying admittedly felt isolated, cut off from her past and her family. The sadness which accompanied this was built on top of her anxiety for what lay ahead. She still did not see herself as someone who would be an effective state guide, certainly not one that could be as poised as Joo Dee, her recruiter and friend in the city. How that woman managed to be so collected, proper, and calm baffled her. Being of a relatively wealthy and noble backing as the daughter of a successful merchant in her hometown, she knew how to carry herself gracefully when necessary and for pomp and circumstance, but not to that degree. She did not know how she would be able to match that standard, but for her family’s sake and with the encouragement from Joo Dee in their parting moments, she would give it her best shot. The knowledge that her family would be well taken care of and soon moved to the middle ring put a smile on her face, as she looked out the window into the streets where a nearby plaza of commerce could be seen. This was after all, just a small, necessary, sacrifice.  
Hanging on the door to her bedroom was her uniform for the next day. A note left on her desk informed her that she was to join a training group of new guides tomorrow morning and was being picked up via ostrich horse drawn carriage. Her uniform was provided and was to be worn. Her provided garments were identical to Joo Dee’s as expected; a sand colored dress with fuller sleeves with the collar and skirt trim a rich emerald green. The trousers worn beneath the dress were of a similar shade of green to the collar and trim and were fuller cut and soft to the touch and her shoes matched the overall motif of the uniform; green with a gold trim. Placed neatly on the desk beside the note was her own liangbatou; the hair piece which the state guides wore. It was identical to Joo Dee’s; a straight silk wrapped wooden bar with the crest of the Earth Kingdom incorporated in brass, but it was notably less worn as it was new. The only article missing from the outfit was the silk scarf which Joo Dee wore which bore once again the coin-like crest of the state. Meiying presumed that it would be bestowed upon her when her training was completed.  
Curiosity and a hint of excitement prodded her onward and she tried her garments on for fit and appearance. She did want to see herself and how she would look for her first day on the job. The woman stood before the full body mirror which stood beside her bedside. The feeling of the silk lined dress uniform was exquisite, and felt much more comfortable and elegant than her tattered tunics and skirts she had worn in the past few months since leaving her old life behind. She was amazed how fitted it was, as if it was made specifically with her measurements in mind; she wondered how they were able to be so accurate. It had felt like ages since she had donned dress or professional attire. Meiying fixed her hair, making sure it draped and fell effortlessly and framed her face. Her long raven hair cascaded from the tops of her shoulders as they flowed down in an elegant manner, she humbly admitted that she felt she at least looked the part. She straightened her headpiece, centering it at her crown and tying it into place, securing it with lengths of her hair until it stood, posted and secure on its own. Minus the scarf, she looked as the state guides did, as Joo Dee did. Meiying straightened her posture and brought her heels together before the mirror. She cupped her hands together in front of her which brought her sleeves together and concealed her hands. The woman smiled as brightly as she could at herself in the mirror, trying to replicate how she saw Joo Dee carry herself when they first met, though she couldn’t smile as...widely. She looked official, and a small hint of pride bubbled within. And with a soft, calm, friendly, but reverberating, voice the young woman finally spoke. 

“Hello! My name is Meiying. I have been given the honor of showing you around our wonderful city. Let’s get started.” 

The phrase felt so odd and foreign to her. Meiying had spoken formally before during matchmaking sessions, and other formal functions her father was invited to or even hosted, but speaking in the role of a guide felt unnatural. She was trying to emulate Joo Dee’s manner of speaking. She caught herself from introducing herself as Joo Dee.  
Meiying laughed lightly at the notion and at the reality that she would need to learn to be more accustomed to this-  
A knock at the door, several in fact. She caught herself and looked to the entrance. She shuffled lightly to the door to meet whoever the person was. A visiting call at this late hour? Meiying opened the green door.  
“Meiying? Is it really you-” the voice paused. “Wow,” he could only say. It was a voice all too familiar to her.  
“Wei?” she inquired, her eyebrows arching upward. She was so glad to finally hear a voice she had grown comfortable around and comforted by. She smiled warmly, seeing the familiar police officer in the uniform she grew accustomed to seeing him in. “You’re here? W-What are you doing here?”  
“I heard of the wonderful news,” he said happily. “Of your new position! That’s wonderful!” Wei took note of her attire. He knew the uniform all too well as he’d seen guides around when he was stationed in different rings of the city. Seeing it on her however, was a sight to take in. “You look..stunning. Really! You definitely look the part!”  
Meiying blushed, flustered at his sudden comment. “Do you really think so? I wasn’t so sure initially I could match the standard shown to me by Joo Dee.”  
“Joo Dee? That was the other guide’s name?”  
“Why, yes,” Meiying replied, “you know her?”  
“Hmm, that's interesting,” he thought to himself under his breath, “I could have sworn..- never mind.”  
Meiying remained before him, all too happy to see a familiar face. She couldn’t bother to lose herself with his question right now. She wanted to take in this moment since it was unknown to her how long she would be away before this opportunity presented itself again.  
“Some place you’ve been put into here,” Wei remarked as he looked around her immediate surroundings from what he could see from the door.  
Looking into his eyes, she took his hands and pulled him into her quarters, closing the main door. As soon as the door closed behind them, she wrapped her arms around him, drawing him close. Wei was surprised, normally Meiying was rather reserved and almost never impulsive. He could feel her tremble ever so lightly in his embrace and could tell that she was nervous and anxious of her situation. Feeling her trembling gradually settle while in her embrace also reassured him that he provided a sense of comfort.  
“Well, let’s not let this apartment of yours go to waste,” he said in an upbeat tone. “Let’s make use of the utilities and make some tea. Just for the two of us.” Wei was really adept at redirection and changing focus.  
“Sure,” Meiying acknowledged. “I’ll go prepare some then. Please, make yourself comfortable while I work on the tea.”  
Minutes passed as Meiying worked on preparing the tea. Wei took in the surroundings of his interest’s apartment. It was a sight even for him to behold. He served in the other rings, but it wasn’t as though he lived in them. He was, after all, still from the lower ring. Unlike Meiying however, Wei’s intrigue did not last as long. Undeniably the arrangement was quaint and of a higher quality, but the layout was not as ornate nor as extreme in quality as what things could be. To Wei, it seemed like a facade. But being a servant of the city himself, he didn’t associate anything further with how things were, and didn’t see anything outstandingly wrong. They were civil servants of course, not upper ring nobility; they were not even middle ring citizens so anything, he guessed, was better than where they came from. He only could feel happy for Meiying that her situation had improved.  
“Sorry for the wait,” Meiying called, carrying a small tray which supported both teacups as well as the tea pot. She took a seat beside Wei, setting the tray onto the table before them, then presenting his cup of tea first. “I guess, I will have to get used to this again,” she lightly laughed as she took her own cup after passing over his.  
“There is something about this that is..great,” Wei commented happily. “Never did I think I’d be served tea by a Ba Sing Se host lady. A person like me isn’t important enough.”  
“You are to me, silly,” she reassured. Realizing what she had just said though, her face became flustered. She turned to look away, her hair acting as a wall ample enough that he was blocked from her view.  
“Yeah- I think you’ll do just fine,” Wei stuttered. He could hear Meiying groaning with embarrassment.  
After a seemingly long moment of silence she finally broke the silence. “You’ve always been nothing but supportive of me, Wei.” She set her teacup down on the table, it was now mostly empty. “Despite being older by two years, I’ve felt it was you that was the more mature between us. And all your help and support and care..it’s just so unfair.”  
“Come on Meiying, the thing again with the age difference? It’s just two years. We could have been in the same school together as adolescents, if we went to the same institution.”  
“No- It’s just so unfair and surreal that you care for me so much. I-I don’t think I deserve this. I haven’t returned much of anything. It’s unfair to you, and others you’d be better suited with.” Her voice was much more somber.  
“Meiying..I-”  
“I say that. And I’ve thought of it more than once. But despite that..I- don’t want to lose you either. And I am so honored that you continue to stay by me.” She turned to him, her eyes down turned so as to not look him directly in the eye, her cheeks were still red.  
“It’s really nothing, Meiying...If anything I wish I could do more-”  
She shut her eyes and leaned in, sealing her lips to his, wrapping her arms around him once more. The guide and the guard.


	7. Training

Ch7

Wei left in the late hours in the midst of the night while Meiying was asleep. He managed to carefully slip out from under Meiying who had fallen asleep leaning on him. He hoped for her the best, and promised he would see her as soon as he could.   
Meiying concealed his handwritten note on the small piece of parchment paper within her sleeves, holding it between her hands. She was sad that Wei had left without saying goodbye, but she couldn’t hold it against him.   
When the carriage arrived, she was surprised to find it empty. Meiying thought she would be met by a trainer or representative, but there was no one else by the carriage driver and single ostrich horse. The trainee host clambered into the spacious transport, identical in every detail to the one Joo Dee had used. She took a seat on the forward facing bench, and as the carriage rocked and swayed, Meiying couldn’t help but feel a sense of eagerness and excitement. Already she felt...official.   
There was a single sealed note that was left neatly for her on the opposite bench, bearing the seal of the Earth Kingdom. 

Meiying,

As a guide and a host for the city and the kingdom, you will be often ferrying your guests and showing them around the city by carriage. It is only fitting that you get acquainted with solo use of your carriage service. You will be ferried every training day to and from the meeting point by carriage everyday, in addition to anywhere you may need to go afterwards.   
You will be joining a group of other prospective host trainees. Members of the cultural department will be overseeing your training, as well as members and agents of the Dai Li. It will be quite an insightful and exciting experience ahead. I hope you enjoy your induction. There will be many changes ahead.  
I hope to be able to work with you in the future! I think you will be one of our very best hosts. 

Joo Dee

After a quaint ride through the city, Meiying’s own carriage came to a stop before the royal palace of the city, off to the far side of the main plaza near a large stone statue of a badger mole. A member of the Dai Li was present before the carriage to meet her, his helmet shading most of his face in an ominous manner. He silently gestured to a group of women gathered next to the large stone statue; all of them dressed identically to herself. They must be the others being trained!   
Their uniforms, like her own, were missing the silk scarf as the final component of the outfit. Some of the girls had their hairpieces askew, crooked, or worn too low, too high, or loosely. Meiying could tell that some of them had never worn such an ornament before. Some of the other women in the group stood in a coarse manner, in a manner not so prim or propper, like a field hand or an artisan with their stances wide and hands loosely hanging by their sides. Others, like Meiying had an idea of how a proper lady would stand, or atleast a concept of it; but they were obviously uncomfortable and standing up straight, heels together, with their hands joined before them as much as possible, was obviously something that they were taught but never had to practice and apply. In this regard, Meiying had an advantage. It had been a while, true, but the nuances of being proper and formal came back to her as if it was second nature.   
One of the women approached her on her own volition out of the blue, a fellow trainee. She was slightly shorter in height, but her hair was longer and spanned the length of her back to her waist. To keep it up and kempt, the knots holding her hairpiece in place were much more substantial, and her hair was tied up in a more intricate fashion. Meiying could tell they likely came from a similar background as to this woman, the same nuances and patterns that Meiying could exhibit seemed to also be second nature to her as well, and among the group she was also proper in appearance.   
“Hello,” she greeted, “Are you one of the trainees as well?” Her voice was very up tuned and warm.   
“Yes, I am also here to be trained,” Meiying responded.   
“I was surprised, I thought you were one of the trainers. You looked as though you were already experienced.”   
Meiying couldn’t say the same as she hadn’t noticed this woman until she came to her but she carried on. “I just had the same thought. You look very proper among the group.”   
“The others come from other backgrounds. For many this is the first time they’ve had to dress up and carry themselves to this extent.” Her voice was clear and easy to understand as it was concise, all while keeping the volume relatively low. “Unlike you and I. I can tell we have a similar background. I grew up in the middle ring. Our family was relatively unknown, but my father had many business dealings outside of the city in the Southern Earth Kingdom. He managed trade operations in the Si Wong Desert as well. ”   
“I grew up outside of Ba Sing Se, but my father was a successful merchant in our home town,” Meiying responded.   
The woman caught herself, “Ah! I am so sorry. I have not properly introduced myself. My name is Yuiko. It is a pleasure to meet you.”   
“Ah! Yes! Pleasure to meet you,” Meiying returned, “My name is Meiying. It is a pleasure to meet you too!”   
Yuiko suggested, “Let’s get through this training together!”   
Meiying took this as the steps to what seemed like a good friendship and accepted, “Yes, let’s!” 

After a few more trainees arrived, the group was then formed into a regimented formation of rank and file; somewhat military-like. Each trainee was ordered into a block of rows and columns. Before the formation at the front were two Dai Li agents as well as a pair of guides. The two hosts who stood before the formation had their scarves tied around their neck, just as Meiying remembered Joo Dee’s. The four of them were fulfilling the role of instructors and would be with them for each day of the training. The first lesson they were taught was simply how to stand in a graceful and proper manner.   
The two mentors depicted proper posture and hand placement and then went around the formation to correct any issues with the trainees. This went on for an extended period of time to the dismay of those not accustomed to it.   
Meiying and Yuiko, who had the techniques and positioning already instilled, were skipped over with minimal comments from the instructing staff.   
Much of the lessons about formalities or ceremonies were almost second nature to both Meiying and Yuiko, having been instilled from their background.

The days went by and the lessons progressed from topic to topic and trivia point to trivia point. Many sessions were spent walking around and venturing to different locations throughout the city. The trainees were taken all over, from the outermost regions of the lower ring, all the way up through the royal palace.   
Meiying essentially was required to form a mental atlas of the city in her mind. Between all the walking, all the carriage rides, and all the compulsory reading, Meiying had been focused on the layout of the massive stronghold. On non-training days, she began to make use of her carriage service more and more, often just requesting trips from point A to point B, in addition to mere loops of the rings of the city.   
As days turned to weeks, training did not let up. Meiying began to notice something. There were days when certain trainees, sometimes small groups, in her class unit would coincidentally be absent due to sickness or exhaustion at similar times. Meiying remarked in awe at Ba Sing Se’s medical treatment capabilities, as the trainees who were reported absent due to sickness or ailment would often be present the next day fully recovered; in some cases they seemed to possess even more energy or proficiency in their learned capabilities.   
Yuiko as well, was absent a number of times. 

“Behind us is Lake Laogai,” the instructor announced to the group. They were gathered at the shoreline beside the tranquil waters. “We thought it would be nice to hold today’s session in such a calming area. Isn’t it relaxing?”   
It was indeed, Meiying thought the scenery around the lake, with its balance of plains, fields, and rock faces was indeed a majestic and breathtaking sight to behold. It was such a nice place to get away from the movement and volume of the city. Despite being within the outer wall, the landscape was so vast one could almost forget they were still within the confines of Ba Sing Se; almost as if they were outside in the rural Earth Kingdom.   
“This is a common vacation spot for the citizens and even officials of Ba Sing Se. All of them, as well, find it to be a relaxing and rejuvenating experience, and are able to return to their lives with a new outlook and new energy.” The speaking guide, then gave the center to one of the Dai Li agents. “I thought it would be a nice location to have this talk.”   
“Hello, I am an agent of the Dai Li. Some of you may have heard rumors about who we are and what we do for the citizens of the Ba Sing Se; some of them may sound rather ominous or scary,” he began. “I’m here to tell you that these stories are nothing more than mere uninformed speculations and assumptions.”   
Meiying wondered what sort of stories and speculations people have actively said about the Dai Li. Until now, she had not known or heard much at all about the Dai Li. The unnamed agent stood before the gathered women as he spoke. His helmet, like those before him, covered his eyes from view. His hands were joined behind his back as well, and he spoke in such a steady and level tone, free of any variation of rhythm or volume. It..really helped the message stick, mentally.   
“The Dai Li is nearly identical in function to the security forces of the city, although our focus ventures beyond mere petty crime. Our focus is protecting and preserving the cultural heritage and traditions of Ba Sing Se. In doing so, we also preserve peace.”  
The group was captivated, and none said a word of comment during his lecture. The sound of the steady rippling of the lake water on the shoreline provided a steady and constant rhythm which somehow made his speech captivating; something that Meiying absolutely must listen to.   
“Our service was founded over three hundred years ago, under the guidance of Avatar Kyoshi, during a time of extreme turmoil which led to the destruction of many cultural artifacts and structures. After helping the former Avatar restore peace and order to the city, we have continued to keep the city’s cultural assets safe ever since, upholding Avatar Kyoshi’s directives she had tasked us with, those many centuries ago. We have since been established as the cultural authority of Ba Sing Se; the guardians of all our traditions.   
The cultural authority of Ba Sing Se. They are the guardians of all our traditions. Meiying had to remember this incase one of her guests inquired about the Dai Li in the future.   
“During your time hosting a valued guest to the city, inevitably there will be some that are not satisfied with our way of life immediately. This is unavoidable and not a cause for worry as we host guests and immigrants from all over the world. Some may not immediately see the value and the beauty of our city. The Earth King wishes all that visit our great city to have a meaningful experience, and to see the beauty and tranquility of the Earth Kingdom capital. We understand that people, coming from far and wide, may have different histories which may influence a barrier to being able to experience the true beauty of our way of life.”   
This is true. Initially, even I did not see Ba Sing Se as so great.   
“To remedy this, the Earth King is very generous and will offer invitations to Lake Laogai to those that have difficulty. This is often due to troubles which cloud their state of mind. The Earth King would like them to relax, to clear their mind of all these issues, to refresh them so that they may appreciate the true beauty of the city and our culture.”   
That is indeed very generous of him, to personally invite anyone who may be in a lesser mood in the city to a vacation here, Meiying thought.   
“If you should encounter any issues with one of your guests,” the agent said in a slightly more serious tone. “Report it to your assigned Dai Li agent, and ask if there are any open invitations to Lake Laogai for them. It is our utmost priority that their visit to the city be a valuable and peaceful one.” 

After the day’s session concluded, the sun was already beyond the horizon. The sky was a dim blue in the evening twilight and the stars began to twinkle in the evening sky. Meiying’s carriage was now passing through the lower ring on the return trip to drop her off at her apartment in the middle ring. It had been weeks- nearly a month, since she had seen or heard from her family or Wei. At nights after her training, she would be so exhausted she could not physically keep herself up, not even to write.   
Outside, her carriage passed an all too familiar street. As she gazed outside the window she could see her family’s former living arrangement, though now the lights inside had fallen dark. No one was home. This brought a feeling of happiness as she could rest well now, knowing her family were taken care of. The small house however had also fallen into worse repair. The holes in the walls and the damage had never been repaired. In their absence, it seemed that other vagrants in addition to the rowdy kids of the street had made use of the small structure since. She wished them well in their new lives, and swore that she would see them soon after she finished this training.   
As the carriage carried on, gently rocking as it approached the wall to the middle ring. Meiying was unexpectedly tired. She finally noted just how tired she was.

And yet, she couldn’t remember why.

She certainly didn’t remember any extraneous work or activity. The last she was able to remember was the lecture and the lessons of the day. Her eyes felt rather heavy, and Meiying was finding it all the more difficult to stay awake; the rocking of the carriage was certainly not helping. Nothing else but all the lessons, lectures, procedures, trivia points, key points of interest in the city, and Dai Li cooperation was actively flowing in her mind. It had been a dense set of days.  
Across from her, once again on the opposite bench of the carriage was another note, placed on the seat.   
How long had that been there? And who could have placed it?   
Sleepily, Meiying lurched forth and took up the note with her delicate hands, and held the note ahead of her face in the moonlight just outside the carriage window to read it. 

Meiying,

Congratulations on progressing so far and so well in your training. I remember, it certainly was a tiring duration, and I am sure that as you read this you as well are feeling rather tired. Fortunately, there is good news. By now, you are coming up on the end of your training. There are only a few sessions to go. I am sure, you’re thoughts are full of points of information a host would know. It’s...probably the only thing you can think of or remember right now, I am certain. It certainly was that way for me at this point as well.   
With that, there is something I must tell you. It is important, and I want you to remember it well. Tomorrow will start, unmistakably, the hardest days of your training. It will be draining and it will be strenuous. It will not be pleasant, and with that, you won’t remember any of it either.   
What you do afterwards will not matter, it will be too late. During the training session, hold on to your reason for doing this tightly. Visualize the faces you long to see. Remember the reason you do this, and who you are. Hang on to that tightly. It will get you through.   
I wish you the best, and to see you in the future. 

Yanyu

Meiying couldn’t keep herself awake any further. Her eyes fell shut like shutters left freely to drop on their own. Yanyu? Who was that? The name soon slipped from her mind. Her hand went limp, letting the letter slip from her fingertips which was then carried off by the wind. Meiying slumped back into her seat and she leaned herself on the carriage window sill, resting her head on her arms. Her hair was whisked gently by the wind.


	8. Indoctrination

Ch 8

Meiying waited for the carriage service to pick her up the next morning. She could not remember much of what had occurred last evening at all. Despite falling asleep on the trip home from Lake Laogai. There were thoughts running rampant in her mind, but the unusual issue was; she could not tell what they were. A precaution, scratching at the farthest back area of her mind, but despite that she didn’t know what exactly it was.   
The carriage was unexpectedly late this morning; granted it was much earlier than previous days. The sun had not fully rose, and the sky was only beginning to become lighter as it slowly transitioned into the morning twilight. The fire lamps of the city were still lit, revealing a light mist had settled throughout the city. Meiying tried to maintain her stillness, but she couldn’t help but shiver quietly in the morning cold.   
She could hear the approach of the carriage coming from the mist. The sound of creaking wheels on squeaky trucks and axles was a noise not common of her normal carriage service. She turned to the direction of the approaching car, squinting to try and see what was coming.   
This time, two ostrich horses drew into view, breaking through the mist and coming into the faint light of the nearby lantern. The car which followed was taller, and visually heavy. The walls were made of iron, and the car swayed from side to side more notably due to the greater height and weight. The driver was a Dai Li agent. The coach passed before Meiying and screeched to a halt. The walls of the carriage were solid, with no windows cut out. The rear door opened and another two Dai Li agents emerged from the car.   
“Good morning, Joo Dee,” he greeted.   
“Excuse me?” Meiying was puzzled. There must have been some mistake. “There..must be some mistake,” she said nervously through a smile. “I’m Meiying! Joo Dee is another state guide for the city.”   
The two agents silently looked to each other, nodding in agreement ominously. Meiying nervously looked back and forth between the two agents before her.   
“We do not make mistakes,” one of the agents finally spoke. He raised his head just enough to look her straight in the eye. As the brim of his helmet raised up, revealing his face, Meiying caught sight of a point which made her spirit plummet, and whatever composure she had left to abruptly extinguish.   
On the agent’s right cheek was a scar! The same scar she had seen on one of the men who had attacked her family’s home!   
Meiying gasped, taking a timid step back away from the agents. She began shaking her head in disbelief. “No..No it couldn’t be..they were Dai Li agents?”   
A silent thud was felt behind her. Another agent. He had descended a hidden location above. Before Meiying could spin around, before she could react, a glove made of stone covered her mouth, keeping her screams suppressed. Simultaneously, another pair of rock gloves cuffed her hands together behind her back. Now arrested by earthbending, she was shoved forward to the two receiving agents who stood at the ready by the door to the wagon. She stumbled forth, being caught by the Dai Li operatives. Only muffled screams and groans could be heard at a very short proximity, no one would be alerted to what was going on. The scarred agent took a bending stance and, raising an open hand, bended the stones which arrested Meiying. She was slowly levitating off the ground until the tips of her toes could no longer contact the street. The second agent then pushed forth a closed fist, sending Meiying flying into the wagon. The stones which bound her hands joined into a stone slab within. The last vision she made out, was the door being shut before her, sealing her in darkness. Meiying passed out from shock. 

Her eyes shot open. She was seated against a wall on the floor of a rather dark setting. She couldn’t remember anything after she was thrown into the back of the carriage, and she did not know where she was. She could feel the stone floor beneath her palms. Rising to her feet, she tried to get an idea of what her situation was. As she groggily came to her senses she began to take in more and more of her surroundings. The chamber she was in was stone all around with no windows, only a single door to the front of the compartment. Green crystals were the sole source of illumination in the room, providing ample light and casting a soft green glow across the room.   
And in the midst of the room, assembled in formation by rank and file were the women of her training group. Though this time, they all stood idle and motionless, as if statues, oriented toward the front of the room as if waiting for something or someone.   
Timidly, straightening out her uniform, Meiying approached the formation. They were the same faces she had grown accustomed to seeing everyday and working with, but something about them made them seem so detached and not like their normal selves. As if they were completely different people. They paid her no attention as she walked among the group, not even the acknowledgement of a mere glance.   
“Yuiko?” Meiying searched, are you here?” She searched for her partner during training. She had been turning up absent over the last few sessions, but she began to feel as though she definitely would find her here. Her stomach began to churn.   
“Yuiko-”   
She tapped one of the women on the shoulder and turned her towards her. The woman was slightly shorter and her hair was elegantly tied up in knots. It was obvious her hair had been cut recently. It was Yuiko!   
“Yuiko! It’s me! Meiying! What’s going on? Where are we? Where have you been?”   
She did not reply or take notice that Meiying was there, rather, she   
“Yuiko?” She shook her slightly by the shoulders in her panicked state. “What did they do to you?”   
“Yuiko? I’m sorry I think you have me confused with someone else. My name is Joo Dee,” she flatly said, eerily, a wide grin on her face.   
Joo Dee? How could that be? Why was she claiming to be her? They’ve met before?   
“You seem troubled. But worry not, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai,” Yuiko added. “I think you will find it will be quite relaxing.”  
The door at the head of the compartment opened, the sound of grinding stone and squealing metal echoing in the chamber and the halls outside and in walked three Dai Li agents. The lead agent immediately spotted Meiying and pointed her out to the other two. Suddenly and swiftly, she was once again detained forcefully. She couldn't escape and she couldn’t scream. And as they dragged her out of the room she heard the call and response recital between the remaining agent and the women of her training group.   
“I’m Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se.” 

Around the room, a small lantern coasted. Round and round on its small metal track. Meiying focused on it as it circled the Dai Li agent who stood in the middle of its circular track. She was forcefully seated upon delivery, bound to the chair by rocks which secured her arms to the arm rests and her head to the chair’s back board. She couldn’t look around with more than just her eyes, and the more she struggled, the more she tired herself out. From where she was seated, the lamp as it made its orbital passage, rather seemed as though it simply passed from left to right in a linear path.   
Her eyes darted around the room before focusing on the agent before her. She was free to speak, yell, and scream to her heart's content, which she did for a considerable amount of time. The three agents in the room, centered in the middle of the lantern's track, and the two which flanked her, remained silent during her feeble attempts to cry for help amid her panicked confusion. For them, they had enough experience to know the screaming and desperation and crying for help among other things could only realistically last for so long. Their ears had become accustomed and numb to the sharp vocal notes which echoed and bounced around the sealed compartment.   
She was exhausted, now unable to will any further verbal cries out, leaving only her fatigued pants.   
“Calm down, you’re safe now, Joo Dee.”   
Again with that name! What was going on here?   
“The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai.”   
Me? But why would he invite me?  
“You’ve shown potential and excellence which should be rewarded.”   
Around and around, the lantern continued its eternal orbit, casting a bright and blinding light across her face as it passed. She squinted when the cycle brought the lamp nearest to her.   
“Why do you keep referring to me as Joo Dee? I’m Meiying! What about the others?! Why is Yuiko referring to herself as Joo Dee as well?!”  
“Your name is Joo Dee. A servant of the Earth King.” His voice remained steady and calm.   
“No! You’re mistaken! You have the wrong person! My name is Meiying! I have a family in the lower ring!”   
“Your name is Joo Dee, a servant of the Earth King.”   
“No! I- I don’t like this! I don’t want to do this anymore! I want to return home! Let me go!”   
She struggled once more, trying to break free of her arrest to no avail. Her second wind lasted for a formidable amount of time. The Dai Li agent paused in his mantra to allow her to ‘speak her mind’. The stone chair she was seated in creaked and groaned from her forceful attempts to break free, but to no avail. After more moments of thrashing about she was tired out once more and drained. Beads of sweat began rolling down her forehead.   
“Your name is Joo Dee, a servant of the Earth King,” they continued. “You are home.”   
She couldn’t fight any further, she had no choice but to sit, watch, and listen. She did not possess the energy even to avoid sitting still. How she wished she could earthbend. Or even if to have the bending abilities of any element. Here, she was helpless.   
“Your name is Joo Dee, a servant of the Earth King.”  
Meiying couldn’t help but keep her eyes drawn on the agent before her. He wasn’t much more than an outline to her, and his face could only be seen briefly as the lantern passed between them.   
“There’s no war in Ba Sing Se. There was no Meiying, and there are no mistakes. There is nothing more than peace and order. You are Joo Dee, a humble servant of the Earth King.”   
The lantern passed before her.   
During the training session, hold on to your reason for doing this tightly. Visualize the faces you long to see. Remember the reason you do this, and who you are. Hang on to that tightly. She vaguely remembered.   
She clung to her reasons tightly. Mentally she remembered their faces. Her father; Zhang. Her mother; Aiko. Her younger brother; Jiao. Her love interest; Wei. She clung to their struggles. Of the war, their journey, and toils they experienced during their immigration to Ba Sing Se, seeking refuge from the Fire Nation. Of the brutal attack against her family in the lower ring of the city. She hung onto those memories as tightly as she could. Though as the speaker continued and the lantern orbited, it became increasingly difficult to. How long would this last? She couldn’t take it for much longer.   
“You’re name is Joo Dee, a servant of the Earth King. Here, everyone is safe. Here, everyone is free.”   
The lantern passed before her once again. She had lost it.   
After a long, and unknown, amount of time had passed. Joo Dee was exhausted. Broken down, mentally and physically, she now sat still. Her eyes remained fixed to the agent before her.   
As the lantern passed before her, she no longer squinted and was no longer bothered by its bright light.   
One of the sentries extended a hand forth, halting the lamp abruptly from its orbit, leaving it stationary between the speaker and Joo Dee.   
They looked to each other and agreed that they had succeeded.   
“Joo Dee, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai.”  
Her head and arm restraints were released, granting her freedom of movement. It was generous of them to do so. 

She raised her eyes to look directly at him steadily. 

“I am honored to accept his invitation,” she finally replied.


End file.
